Does anyone here have a child with this?
We think my son is a good candidate and will be tested in a few weeks. I know its a seizure disorder that causes a severe language delay.
Right now Corbin (3) is diagnosed with eplipesy and pdd-nos. He got the nos diagnosis because he is so social. He loves to jibber to people, look everyone in the eye, be hugged kissed loved on. He loves to flirt and rub on people. But his speech is still at a 12-18 mos level. Just wondering if anyone has had experience with this?
My son was tested for LKS variant. He had one EKG that showed a lot of activity over his temporal lobe, but that was the only one that did.
I would be sure you see someone who is knowledgable about LKS, especially if they do feel that your child has LKS, you want to work with someone who has experience in treating it. True LKS is extremely rare, and even LKS variant is rare, so most doctors have never even seen a case.
There is a good message board for LKS on the Braintalk forums: http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=153
There is also an LKS Yahoo email group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/lks/
http://www.bobjanet.demon.co.uk/lks/home.html (LKS information)
Articles on emedicine:
http://www.emedicine.com/NEURO/topic547.htm
http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic182.htm
http://www.autism.org/landau.html
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/921771960.html
Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS), also called acquired epileptiform aphasia, is a rare, childhood neurological disorder characterized by the sudden or gradual development of aphasia (loss of language) and an abnormal electro-encephalogram (EEG). LKS affects the parts of the brain that control speech and comprehension.
The disorder usually occurs in children between the ages of 3 and 7. Typically, these children develop normally and then, for no apparent reason, they lose the ability to understand others and to speak. While many of the affected individuals have seizures, some do not.
The disorder is difficult to diagnose and may be misdiagnosed as autism, pervasive developmental disorder, hearing impairment, learning disability, auditory/verbal processing disorder, attention deficit disorder, mental retardation, childhood schizophrenia, or emotional/behavioral problems.
Treatment for LKS usually consists of medications, such as anticonvulsants and corticosteroids, and speech therapy, which should be started early. Another controversial treatment option involves a surgical technique called multiple subpial transection in which the pathways of abnormal electrical brain activity are severed.
The prognosis for children with LKS varies. Some affected children may have a permanent severe language disorder, while others may regain much of their language abilities (although it may take months or years). In some cases, remissions and relapse may occur. The prognosis is improved when the onset of the disorder is after age 6 and when speech therapy is started early. Seizures generally disappear by adulthood.
Information provided by the
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health